An Unexpected Adventure
by Victoria13468
Summary: This is the story of how I, Victoria, end up in a completely different world called Middle Earth. I travel with the Fellowship of the Ring, with knowledge of future events. I journey far over the Misty Mountains cold, through the plains of Rohan, and to the White City of Gondor, all with a certain elf prince by my side. This is my first fanfiction, so reviews are appreciated :)
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

I had an extremely ordinary life, yet _I_ wasn't that ordinary. I grew up in an ordinary house, with ordinary people, in an ordinary country. I had a Mom and Dad and a younger brother. The sign to our street read "Glen Iris, Melbourne, Australia: an Exciting Place to Live." To make it even more boring, the neighbourhood committee decided to paint all the houses green and white to make it 'interesting'. I always thought they looked more like cloned birdhouses crammed against each other along a busy street where nothing ever happens.

My Dad was an physicist and my Mom was a teacher, and my 12 year old brother, well he was autistic. It's a kind of learning development issue, and that meant my Mom and Dad had to spend more time on him than me. Regular therapy appointments and special needs workshops dictated my family's schedule, so I was left at home most of the time.

I wasn't jealous, because I knew I was still loved by my parents, and I wasn't sad that I had to spend alot of time in my room, because I was free to do whatever I wanted. From being alone I had time to work on my drawing, writing, and social media.

Out of all the things in my room, watching movies was among my favourite activities. They transported me into different worlds, whether they were set in medieval times with kings and queens, or far ahead in the space age with aliens and monsters. One really spoke to me, and that was Lord of the Rings.

The different components and character developments amazed me aswell as the magnificent scenery and special effects put into the production. The beauty of the visual movie was only matched by the beauty of the written work by the great JRR Tolkien. I loved it so much that I used to draw the characters and make up little stories about them in Middle Earth, a magical medieval land in which I longed to join them in.

At 13 I had discovered Lord of the Rings, it became my obsession, but by 16, my studies took priority. I didn't have time to think about a silly made up world where elves and trolls and wizards lived, now that exams constantly loomed over my head. I had to focus on getting a job, where I would earn enough money to get through university, and then find a career; basically to get a life.

11 years later I pursued my love of movies, and wanted to become a visual effects editor for a company I found right after I had moved out of my parents house and finished high school. I entered university with a part-time job at an animation studio and a tiny apartment all the way over in a very wet and cold England.

I am now 24 years old, I have blonde wavy hair that has grown down to about my elbow, with freckles along my thin nose and deep hazel eyes. I am above average for my height thanks to my long legs and I am relatively slim. My name is Victoria, and this is my story of how I completely disappeared from reality and found myself faced with an unexpected journey, in Middle Earth.


	2. Chapter 2: A Stranger in the Woods

Suddenly there was thunder, heavy and rolling, shaking the ground and as it ended, a terrified woman's cry split the silence. As Legolas looked up, the branches bent as something fell through them. A young woman tumbled through the air and onto the ground with a loud thump. She rolled on her side as she regained her lost breath and rubbed the fresh pain away from her shoulder.

Legolas stared, trying to comprehend what he saw before him. A woman with long golden hair, a blue half sleeve shirt and a pair of long white trousers, now stained with mud and leaves had just fallen no more than a few meters in front of him. She had risen to her feet and started to brush the dirt off herself when she heard a twig snap. She whipped her head around and felt her breath catch in her throat. A tall man with long blonde hair was stepping towards her.

Victoria stood there, unable to move, unable to take her eyes off him. Her mind screamed for her to run but her legs refused to work. The bluest eyes she had ever seen stared back, burning into hers.

"What are you doing in these woods?" he asked. Victoria was surprised at the softness of his voice, nothing like the ice in his eyes. She glanced at him, finally taking a moment to study his odd appearance. He was dressed in greens and browns, his clothes fitting snugly against him. His face was flawless, handsome, almost ageless. _'He looks just like Legolas from Lord of the Rings!'_ she realised.

"What's going on, where am I?" She wondered, feeling panicked. She took a step back as he neared.

"Don't move," he demanded in the same silky voice.

Victoria took a deep breath and sprinted in the other direction away from the man. She hadn't gotten far when a strong hand grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. He had pulled her underneath the shade of a nearby tree to shield his eyes from the blinding sun above. She was surprised at his quickness, but she was indeed annoyed at him.

"Im going to ask you once more, what are you doing in these woods?"

Victoria decided not to be clever and told him the truth.

"I'm lost," she admitted, "I have no idea where I am... Please don't kill me," She added.

He studied her for a minute, and slowly released her arm and took a step back.

"What is your name?" he asked finally.

Victoria let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. _'He isn't going to kill me, calm down.'_ she thought to herself.

"Victoria Aitken."

"Victoria?" He repeated, as if it was a strange name. "Where are you from?"

"England," she answered, at this answer Legolas shot her a confused look.

"Well actually I live in England right now, I was born in Australia," she continued, hoping not to confuse him, as she spoke in a british accent.

"I do not know of any _England_ or _Australia_," he replied.

"Ok, well where am I now?" Victoria asked with a slight quiver in her voice. Despite the man in utter confusion with her, he was very intimidating.

"You do not know?" He replied with an even more confused look.

"Oh, Let me guess," she said with a sarcastic laugh, "We're in Middle Earth."

"Yes," he answered speaking to her like she was a child.

"Alright, then YOU must be Prince Legolas," she said with another laugh.

He gasped in shock. "How do you know who I am?!" He requested sharply.

Victoria decided to play along, "Lord of the Rings is my favorite, how could I not know who you are! I've always dreamed of going to Middle Earth, to meet the Fellowship, Aragon, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Boromir, Gandalf, Gimli, and... Legolas." she turned to look at him for a moment and then gasped as she moved her gaze to his head.

"What's wrong?" Legolas asked as if there was danger approaching.

"Your ears..." She whispered in disbelief. "They're pointed."

"Of course they are. I am an Elf... did you not know this? You seem to know everything else," annoyance was thick in his voice.

That was it, that was enough evidence to prove she really was in Middle Earth, and Victoria wasn't sure whether to rejoice or to panic. _'Just stay cool,' _she agreed.

Legolas took her wrist and walked towards the edge of the forest.

"Are we in Mirkwood?" she asked quietly.

"No, we are in Rivendell." he frowned at her.

"Are you on your way to the Council of Elrond? she asked boldly.

He appeared startled, "You know of the council?!"

"Of course, Frodo will present the ring, Boromir will try to take it for Gondor, then there is the whole 'You have, my sword, bow, axe' thing, la la la la la, few minutes later there is a Fellowship of th-" Victoria was interrupted. Legolas had stopped and pushed her up against a large brown oak tree, forearm pressing against her throat, leaving her gasping for air and powerless.

"How does a lost woman from a far-off land know so much about a _secret_ council meeting concerning the Ring of Power?" He demanded curiously, yet venom and danger dripped from his voice.

"Let me g-go, I can't b-breathe..." she chocked out in anger and in fear. Legolas reluctantly released his arm from her throat. Victoria breathing heavily slid down the trunk of the tree and sat on the soft grass, clutching her slightly bruised neck.

"Now, answer me!" He told her firmly.

"There are these moving pictures in my world, and they told the story of the War of the Ring," trying her best to describe a television to him, "they also have books describing it and paintings showing it. This story is well known by my people."

"Are you saying I am living in the past, and that in your lands everything has already happened?!" he exclaimed.

"Well, as I said it's a story, nothing more in my world, but here it is very real, from first impressions." Victoria quickly finished speaking, hoping not to be chocked this time.

"Come with me," Legolas took her wrist again and continued to walk through the emerald forest until finally stopping at a large white horse along a dirt pathway.

"Can you ride?" He asked, and Victoria nodded in reply.

"Um, there's no saddle." She pointed out. She had only ridden a horse a few times, but never without the proper equipment. Legolas looked up understanding her problem, then reached down and grabbed her around the waist.

"Wait," she whispered nervously. "What is going to happen to me?"

Realisation dawned in his eyes and his face grew softer. He lowered his head slightly until it was mere centimeters away.

Victoria found herself unable to breathe while her heart started to race in her chest. She stared dreamily into Legolas' vibrant ocean coloured eyes while Legolas stared right back into her deep hazel ones.

"No harm with come to you." He said in his hypnotising voice. Then he lifted her onto the horse and the moment was broken.

Legolas sat just behind her, not wanting this strange woman out of his sight. They trotted along a winding mountain pass with many ferns and stony paths. The ride wasn't long, but before Victoria had dropped off to sleep to the melodic beat of the horse's trots, they stopped outside a beautiful castle. Except it wasn't a castle, it was like a house, a very big house. It was Rivendell, the last Homely House of Elrond.


	3. Chapter 3: Rivendell

Victoria gaped in awe at the magnificence that was Rivendell. It was too much to look at from a first glance, so instead she walked towards the incredible view, trying to take it all in. Rivendell was made up of many structures linked by arches and stone bridges. Numerous balconies protruded from the cliff on which it stood, overlooking the valley filled to the brim with the tallest and the greenest of trees. Waterfalls poured out underneath the bridges and in between the buildings into the valley below, and as Victoria squinted in the bright sunlight, she noticed a courtyard in amongst the rustling trees.

'_Wait, no, it can't be... it is! That is the exact place where they held the Council of Elrond! Well, soon to be held I suppose. How did they design this place, with the waterfalls right below it, and how its basically built off a ledge in a mountain...elven magic, obviously!'_ She wondered with a slight smirk.

Victoria heard soft footsteps behind her and turned to see Legolas walking towards her with two elf guards walking swiftly beside him.

"Time to go," said Legolas, gesturing towards a stone walkway leading into Rivendell.

Cautiously, she stepped towards the bridge, realising there were no handrails or safety nets at the bottom. Peering over the edge, she noticed that in the event that she would fall, all there would be to catch her, was a cold, rough tidal wave of water and rocks. '_Just don't be an idiot and fall in,'_ she told herself firmly.

At that moment, one of the elven guards walked beside her, "My lady we must make haste, Lord Elrond is waiting." he said urgently.

'_Elrond? Waiting for me? What did I do? ...Oh, he's probably waiting for Legolas and the other elves from Mirkwood to arrive.' She thought, 'I don't suppose I'm that important here right now, with the council and the ring and everything... although, I have always wanted to see Rivendell.'_

A sudden burst of energy and excitement hit her, she started walking over the cobblestone bridge at a surprisingly quick pace. The fear of falling into the raging waterfall below her was overpowered by a shot of excitement and adventure. Legolas and the two guards trailed behind as Victoria gazed all around the beautiful scenery. She ran her hands along the immaculate stonework of the archway she had just passed under, it was covered with carvings of vines and leaves twirling into complex shapes. Trees and flowerbeds lined the reception area, giving it a natural and balanced atmosphere of stone and greenery.

'The elves really like their nature don't they_,'_ she whispered quietly to herself, a small smile appeared on her face. She still couldn't get over the fact that she was actually there, in Middle Earth. All of it seemed just too different from her own world, but this one was also incredibly beautiful and exciting at the same time.

She turned around to face the others, and found herself staring directly at a tall, dark haired elf striding towards them. He wore a long red robe with gold vine patterns embroidered onto the fabric, his hair was pulled back and braided to expose a welcoming face. Victoria knew exactly who this was.

"Gellon ned Legôlas Graànlàf i Mírkwood, galar i chent lîn ned i gladhol." (Welcome Legolas Greanleaf of Mirkwood, I see you have brought a fair lady with you), he spoke in a language she couldn't understand, she guessed they were somehow saying hello.

"Gi suilon Êlrond! Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn Víctoria. Odulen an edraith angin omenta." (_Greetings Lord Elrond of Rivendell, this is Lady Victoria, she knows much of the upcoming council meeting. We need to determine if this woman is a spy of Saroun or simply insane_), Legolas replied.

"_Mae g'ovannen, _amin a' ar' lle vee' ilya tuulo' lye ier e' en' ra quintö" (_I will talk to her, and you will join me, as all information from our allies are valuable in these times of great importance._)

Elrond strode over to the lady with a warm smile on his face. He was old, but sort of young, if that was possible. She could see lifetimes of experience etched into his features, making him look fatherly and wise.

"Hi Elrond!" Victoria said with a grin that went from ear to ear. Lord Elrond was taken aback by the casualness of her speech. Suddenly remembering that that wasn't exactly the way to talk to a Lord of an elven kingdom, Victoria stammered, "I..um I mean, greetings Lord Elrond of Rivendell, it is an honour to meet you." correcting her bad manners.

The smile returned to Lord Elrond's face, "You have come a long way to arrive in Rivendell. I understand that you know information concerning the council meeting that is about to be held."

"Yes, I do, and I also know what will happen from this point onwards." Victoria tilted her head upwards to see Elrond's warm expression turn serious.

"Shall we go inside to discuss this matter further?" he asked. Well, it was more of an order rather than a question. "Sure," Victoria grunted as she followed Legolas and Elrond out of the blinding sunlight and into a tower at the very back of Rivendell.

Her legs burned from the amount of stairs she had to climb, and when she had finally reached the top of the spiral stairs, she saw a large room spread in front of her, deep brown wood furniture was dotted around the room and decorated with different tones of green and silver pillows and fabrics. A balcony was at the far end of the room, looking out over the grand vista of the valley. Victoria plopped down on a comfortable looking armchair with intricate wood carvings on the edges and arm rest, while Elrond and Legolas took two more seats directly facing her.

"Now Victoria, how did you arrive in Rivendell?" Elrond asked curiously. Victoria saw no reason to lie, "I honestly don't know how I got here, all I did was walk through a forest to clear my head, and then I fall out of the sky and end up in a completely separate world!"

Elrond was confused at this answer, he was expecting a simple story of simple folk, one of someone losing their way on a journey, but this was entirely different. Victoria spoke up, "Just asking, is this place real? Like, I can come here and affect things, or is it a fixed point in time or something?"

"Well, to us it seems quite real, it is our home, if you hadn't arrived, I would be attending to other duties, but I am here with you discussing this matter. So yes I think you can affect things just like every other person on this earth." Elrond concluded. Victoria had to take a minute to process the crucial information put before her, '_If I really am in the story of Lord of the Rings, and I can affect things, then I can surely change the story aswell. It's like in those movies, where you step on a butterfly and you change the course of the human race! …Ugh, I better not mess anything up then.' _

Lord Elrond broke the silence, "How do you know about the council meeting and the ring?" yet another question, but this time Legolas answered, "She talks of 'television' and stories of the events about to happen including the council. Obviously it is impossible to have such things, moving pictures and future telling books." Legolas scoffed at the idea.

Upon hearing this remark, Victoria shot him a dirty look, "And I suppose you know everything there is to know about televisions, I just so happen to make the 'moving pictures' you speak so terribly of!" she crossed her armed in frustration.

"Well, if we are quite finished," Elrond said coolly, trying to calm the two of them down, "Can you tell me what will happen from this point onwards?" Victoria sat back on against the chair gazing out the balcony, staring at blank space.

"Lady Victoria," Elrond said, drawing her attention back to the question.

She eventually spoke, "I can't."

"If you claim to know what will happen and you do not tell us, how can we confirm you truly possess this information?" Legolas said doubtfully.

"Because, Legolas, if I told you what will happen, I could seriously change things, I don't know what moments to alter or what moments I have to leave untouched. Plus it wouldn't make for a very good story if you always know what will happen next…Spoilers!"

"You are wise not to tell us too much," Elrond turned to Victoria with a glint of respect in his eyes, then turned to Legolas, "I will see you at the council meeting tomorrow, good day."

That was Legolas' cue to leave and he was happy about it, in truth, he found her puzzling. Nothing about her made sense, from her strange clothes, to the way she spoke, she was unfamiliar to him and he knew next to nothing about her. She made him feel uneasy, a feeling he didn't like at all. After Legolas had exited, Lord Elrond continued, "If you truly are from another world, how do you know about the events of another one?"

This interrogation unfortunately went on for what felt like hours, Elrond would swamp her with questions and she would try to answer back honestly. Soon enough, the sky was a canvas splattered with reds and yellows creating a beautiful sunset painting, and Elrond finally came to a conclusion, "Lady Victoria, you will attend the council meeting tomorrow morning. Please be ready by 8 o'clock, I will have a room prepared for you. Please get some rest."

Victoria skipped down the stairs, much easier to go downhill than uphill. When she reached the bottom, she saw the setting sun shine through the branches casting a pinkish hue on the surrounding buildings. 'I'm hardly tired, I can't think about going to sleep at this point.'

She decided to walk around for a bit, she strolled in no particular direction in between the buildings, marvelling at the architecture and detail put into every brick and column. Eventually she reached the edge of Rivendell, and sat down on the bare rock, dangling her feet over the edge of the cliff. She stared at her beaten up green canvas shoes, covered with dirt and smudges, they instantly reminded her of home. 'All the time spent alone, no one really there, and yet here in my fantasy world I feel more alone than ever…' she was lost in thought for a while, just thinking about home, and how different it was to here, breathing in the fresh forest breeze and admiring the view.

As the sun was disappearing under the horizon, Victoria felt as if she was being watched, and spun her head around in all directions until meeting the gaze of an elf staring down at her. It was Legolas.

"Oh it's just you Greenleaf!" she tried not to sound surprised.

"How did you kno- Never mind…" he started in confusion but eventually gave up, apparently she knew more about him than he did!

"What are you doing out here alone? You are expected at the council meeting tomorrow, you shouldn't be wandering around." Legolas nagged.

Victoria suddenly remembered how annoying Legolas could get, "Ugh, the council meeting is tomorrow, I'm not needed anywhere right now so I'm allowed to relax. And anyway, you're the prince of Mirkwood, what are YOU doing out here alone? Shouldn't you be attending to your royal subjects or something?" At this point Victoria just wanted to be left alone.

"I came here to apologise…" He muttered slowly.

"Apologise for what?" She snapped impatiently.

"For strangling you earlier." Victoria's eyes widened with realisation at what he had just said.

"Oh that… um, don't worry about it, i-it's fine…" She stammered, not really knowing how to reply. She looked up at him, she could tell he was guilty, it was in his eyes and in the way he spoke. Sympathy rose up, she was almost touched by his sincerity, yet she was still incredibly annoyed with him.

"Apology accepted," she told him quickly. There was an extremely awkward pause, until a full minute later, Legolas spoke. "May I walk you back to your room?" he asked. Victoria took a second to think it over, 'It's getting dark, I have to get back to my room anyway, and it would be a bit rude to decline his offer. He's honestly trying to make up for his mistake… ugh fine.'

"Okay," she answered. Legolas held out a hand to help her up from sitting on the ground, she stood up by herself, "I'm fine, I don't need help." Victoria told him firmly. Legolas' eyes were cast down to the ground, and Victoria suddenly felt bad for him, he was only trying to help. She walked throughout Rivendell with Legolas strolling beside her in silence. Over bridges, under archways and past numerous gardens until Legolas stopped outside a dark oak door on the far side of the city.

"I suppose I will see you again at the council tomorrow…" He began.

"Yes, I'll see you, uh, then," Victoria continued, "Thanks, by the way," she said trying to make him feel a bit better. Legolas' lips curved upwards, to the tiniest of smiles.

"Goodnight Lady Victoria," Legolas finished as he turned to walk in the other direction. Victoria watched as his silhouette quickly disappeared into the darkness. She shut her door quietly, 'I had better get to sleep, I have a big day tomorrow.'


	4. Chapter 4: The Council of Elrond

The sunrise shone through the stained glass window casting a green light upon a sleeping Victoria. The bed where she was curled up in was decorated in dark hand carved wood, it was at least twice the size of the one in her small apartment back home. Victoria groaned as she was blinded by the light and eventually sat upright on the bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Looking around the room, she was confused, '_How did I end up here_' her mind raced until she remembered, '_Oh right, I'm in Rivendell…'_ it still took a while for it to sink in, but there was no time to worry about that, she had a council to attend to.

She scanned the room, finally able to see it in full light; the furniture was large, but not bulky, the carvings intricate, but not overly ornate.

"I could get used to this!" Victoria whispered with a grin.

She spied a small door in the corner of the room, got up from the soft bed and opened it cautiously. '_No way, they have bathrooms here?!_' Victoria thought, barely believing her luck. Inside was a metal bathtub, and what she assumed would be called a chamber pot. After immensely enjoying a hot bath, Victoria wrapped herself in one of the towels provided and walked out of the bathroom and across the room in search of a change of clothes.

She found a small wardrobe on the right side of the bed. Hanging inside was a variety of dresses, all made with silky lightweight material in of many different colours and shades. She pulled out a light blue one, and quickly slipped from her towel into the garment.

She walked over to the mirror and studied her reflection.

"Not bad," turning from side to side, trying to see the whole outfit. The dress had long sleeves with white beads along the collar and waist, perfectly matching the pastel colour of the dress. It was tight against her skin, yet comfortable enough to move in, the length of the outfit was so long that it pooled at her feet.

Victoria took a moment to study herself - Her face had smooth skin with a fair amount of freckles along the nose, her torso was nicely proportioned with her legs, making her look taller. Her hair was a cross between light brown and blonde which grew until half way down her arm. Her eyes; brown and boring. Lastly her teeth; they had finally sorted themselves out after years of crookedness, now gleaming white and perfectly fine. '_Pretty enough_,' she decided.

Victoria knew she had decent looks, no-one had ever called her beautiful, but then again no-one called her a toad. "I don't look that bad" she said with a smile. Victoria walked towards the door leading out of the room and put on her green canvas shoes. She honestly didn't want to wear heels, as it was hard enough to walk with all the extra fabric at her feet, tripping her up numerous times.

"I seriously don't know how these women walk in these clothes every day," Victoria said to herself.

She opened the door to feel the fresh breeze on her face, and swiftly walked in the direction of the council, hoping that she wasn't late.

Seated in a circle are all the representatives of Middle Earth, Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Opposite the elves were the men, Legolas could only recognise one of them, a tall dark haired man with a short scruffy beard was sat legs apart, tapping his foot. This was Aragorn heir to the throne of Gondor. On the right side of the dwarves sat Elrond, Gandalf the wizard, and a young hobbit with dark curly hair. Everyone had gathered and was awaiting the beginning of the meeting, yet one empty chair still remained.

'Crap, I'm late,' Victoria screamed in her head as she ran down the stairs into the courtyard. She quickly took the empty chair in between Lord Elrond and Frodo, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Early morning birdsong and the rustling of trees filled the seconds of silence as Elrond stood to begin the meeting, "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Elrond looked at them all and settled his gaze on a hobbit with dark curly hair, gesturing to him, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

Frodo walked over to the stone plinth in the middle of the circle and carefully placed the Ring down.

Muttering came from all members of the council as Frodo sat back down sighing, '_The ring is already taking hold of him_,' Victoria thought, pitying the little hobbit for having to bear so much evil.

On the opposite side of the circle, a man with sandy coloured hair and beard, dressed in a red and blue tunic stood up, "In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. In the West a pale light lingered." He started to edge his way over to the plinth, continuing to speak, "A voice was crying, your doom is near at hand when Isildur's bane is found."

Elrond and Gandalf exchanged concerned looks, and when the man stretched out his hand to the Ring, Elrond and Gandalf jumped to their feet. "Boromir!" Elrond shouted. The sky darkened as Gandalf began to chant the Black Speech of Mordor, Boromir jumped back, terrified.

Victoria covered her ears, while Gandalf's booming voice made her go slightly deaf. "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk," Victoria noticed Elrond holding his head in pain, and Legolas closing his eyes grimacing as Gandalf's chanting continued, "agh burzum-ishi krimpatul,"

The sky cleared of shadow and the sun reappeared from it's hiding to light up the courtyard once more. Elrond, horrified and angered, spoke, "Never before has anyone uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

"I do ask your pardon Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West," He turned to stare at Boromir, "The Ring is altogether evil," he snapped and turned to sit back down.

Boromir, still staring at the ring, shook his head, "Aye it is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" He walked round addressing everyone, "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people, are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!" He finished.

Victoria gazed across the circle to see Aragorn about to speak, "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

The sandy haired man fired back scathingly, "And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

Only a few seats to her left, Legolas, dressed in a brown cloak stood up, "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance."

Boromir looked at Aragorn in disbelief, "Aragorn! This.. is Isildur's heir?!"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor" Legolas continued.

Boromir turned to Legolas, "Gondor has no King," he walked back to his seat, staring at Aragorn disdainfully, "Gondor needs no King."

Gandalf chimed in, "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it."

Elrond stood up again, "You have only one choice, The Ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" grumbled a red haired dwarf no more than two seats away, he stood up with axe in hand and strode over to the plinth, intending to smash The Ring to pieces. Victoria has the urge to stop him somehow, but the only thing she could do was shout.

"GIMLI!"

The sound echoed throughout the building, and Victoria, not realising the defining sound of her own voice, had every member of the council's eyes upon her. Gimli held his axe high in the air, and was starting right at her, confused.

"Um, Gimli, If I were you I wouldn't try to destroy The Ring right now, mainly because you can't and it would break your axe." She continued slowly.

"Are you saying that I am not worthy enough to destroy it? Are you testing the might of the dwarves?!" He threatened.

Taken aback by his accusation, Victoria stammered, "No, no, no, I-I'm not, it's just that, the Ring cannot be destroyed by any craft that we here posses. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade," she said, quoting Elrond.

"You know much about this ring, my lady. How did you come by this information?" Aragorn asked.

"I-I um, just know alot." Victoria said finally, honestly not sure how to reply.

"Well, a woman should not meddle in the ways of the world, especially if it concerns The Ring of Power." Boromir declared. Victoria shot him a dirty look, '_What the hell is wrong with men here?! Annoying, stubborn, AND sexist at the same time_!' she thought angrily.

Elrond continued talking, "The Ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you... must do this."

There was silence. Nobody spoke, no one dared to move, until Boromir spoke up again, "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the great eye is ever watchful. Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this, it is folly!" he said shaking his head.

Legolas, jumping to his feet, shouted, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" said a very annoyed Gimli.

"And if we fail what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir fired back.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli bellowed.

The elves sprung to their feet to back Legolas. The men did the same for Aragorn, they all started talking until the conversation was a commotion of yelling and arguments.

Frodo stood up walking towards the group, "I will take it!" not hearing him, he yelled again, "I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!" all members stopped their bickering and gazed at him in awe, "Though, I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said reassuringly as he walked and stands behind the short hobbit.

Aragorn, knelt down to meet Frodo's gaze, "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," said Legolas chiming in.

"And my axe," Gimli said proudly, while walking over to meet the others. He looked at Legolas who grimaced, he was not holding back how unhappy he was about a dwarf joining the others.

Boromir reluctantly stood with the group, "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

Out of the corner of Victoria's eye, she saw another hobbit peering through the bushes. Smiling at him, she nodded her head towards the group, encouraging him to join.

"Hey! Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me." Sam cried as he took his place by Frodo's side.

"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!" laughed Elrond.

Victoria craned her neck to see two small heads pop out from behind the stone pillars.

Elrond's head whipped around astounded, as the two hobbits ran in eagerly, "Wait! we're coming too!"

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" proclaimed Merry.

Pippin continued, "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission ...quest ...thing"

"Well that rules you out Pip!" Merry whispered.

Elrond gazed at the nine stood together, "Nine companions... So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked innocently.

Victoria couldn't help but laugh.

LEGOLAS' POV

Legolas looked around the group as it slowly thinned. He felt confident in his decision to go, knowing he would stop at nothing to see The Ring destroyed and peace restored to Middle Earth. The only thing he was unsure of, were his travelling companions. Aragorn he could understand, the man had been a long time friend, and proved himself trustworthy. Frodo seemed destined to carry the ring, and Gandalf would lead the way.

The others he was not as sure about, the three other hobbits seemed a little young, and the man Boromir he did not trust. But worst of all was the dwarf, Gimli. Legolas would rather it be anyone else but the dwarf.

As he thought this over in his mind, Elrond walked over, "I am relieved that you will be traveling with the Fellowship," he said proudly, "Although there is one thing that troubles me… the girl you found."

Legolas groaned inwardly, "What about her?"

"I had a long discussion with her yesterday, and the way she acted during the council meeting has lead me to believe that she is telling the truth." Elrond looked as surprised as Legolas.

Legolas looked into the elf's eyes, hoping to find some sign that this was a joke. It was no joke, he was serious.

Elrond spoke at last, "I believe she can help us, she will travel with the Fellowship.


	5. Chapter 5: Setting Off

To say that Legolas was shocked would have been a huge understatement.

"You want a woman to go with us?!" he nearly shouted the words. Elrond nodded seriously.

"But, but," Legolas stammered. He had to change the elf's mind, "It is to dangerous. She does not understand the dangers and hardships we will face! All she will do is slow us down!"

Elrond shook his head as if the matter was already settled, "I have thought about that, and assure you it will not be a problem. Besides, if Lady Victoria truly has the gift of foresight, then she_ does_ understand the difficulty of the trip ahead of her."

"You are right, the journey will no doubt be dangerous," Elrond continued softly, "and that is why I'm putting you in charge of her safety."

Legolas felt his eyes widen with even more disbelief; not only had he failed to talk Elrond out of his foolish plan, but he also had been given the task of watching over a woman who both annoyed and mystified him.

Elrond noticed his reaction, "You were meant to find her Legolas, She is in your life now for a purpose. That is why I put you in charge of her."

The blonde haired elf turned away from Elrond, breathing deeply. He knew there was no changing Elrond's mind, he would just have to cope.

"I will do this if I must," he finally said.

"Wonderful. Now all that is left to do, is to convince Lady Victoria." Elrond concluded.

"WHAT?!" Victoria exclaimed, staring at the elf in front of her.

"You will travel with the Fellowship," Elrond repeated, this time he was demanding.

Victoria fought down a scream. This _really_ was the last straw, yesterday's interrogation was enough, but now Elrond was demanding, DEMANDING that she go with them. Legolas walked up behind her, "The journey will be long and fraught with much danger," he warned, "You would take a life threatening risk by accepting."

'_He's trying to talk me out of it_,' Victoria realised with a frown. Her mind was now made up.

"I will go"

The look on Legolas' face was worth any amount of danger she had to face.

"Good," Elrond said with a relieved smile. "I have assigned Legolas to be your guardian. He will see to it that no harm comes to you."

Victoria's jaw dropped, 'A guardian?! What am I a child?!' she thought. However, compared to the elves, she supposed she was.

"The Fellowship leaves in an hour. Go pack your things." Elrond said, dismissing her.

Victoria felt the anger boil up inside her and walked quickly to her room, before she lost her temper. She swung her door open and paced around the room, arms folded.

"Great," she said to herself, "Now I have to put up with an annoying elf for a babysitter for the next who-knows how long!"

Just as she finished complaining to herself, she heard a knock on the door. She walked over and turn the shiny brass handle, not in the mood for conversation, and found Legolas standing outside in the doorway.

"What do you want?" she snapped at him.

"You are angry because I was assigned to be your guardian," Legolas started boldly, "why?"

"I am not a child, I don't need your protection." she snapped.

"We will see," Legolas spoke smoothly, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes we will." Victoria spat back.

Legolas paused, looking angry, "I did not ask for this responsibility."

He glared at her and locked Victoria's gaze, she frowned at him refusing to back down. After a minute, Legolas turned his sharp blue eyes away.

"Would you rather have Aragorn or even Boromir be assigned as your guardian?" he spoke softly, all the anger gone from his voice.

"No," Victoria whispered, "I would have rather I was assigned to be my own guardian. I can take care of myself."

She turned away from the elf, walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed a leather back pack from inside. "If Elrond wants you to be my guardian, then who am I to argue?" she reasoned aloud. She set the bag onto the edge of the bed, and began to pack her things, making a mental list, '_Hairbrush, water bottle, journal, pencils, socks…_'

She glanced over at the elf as he stood with an unreadable expression. "Don't you have to pack?" Victoria asked shortly, uncomfortable with his scrutiny.

"Make sure you are at the gates on time," was his only reply before he turned and left her room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Victoria was still contemplating over what she would need for the journey when a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, an elf entered carrying a stack of clothes. Victoria recognised her at once, Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond. She possessed striking poise and grace, and her dark wavy hair contrasted her fair skin and gentle blue-grey eyes. Arwen's beauty was something that all three of the movies had failed to capture.

'_It's no wonder Aragorn fell in love with her_,' Victoria thought with a small smile.

"Greetings Lady Victoria, it is a privilege to finally meet you," she spoke softly.

"It's more of a privilege to meet _you, _Lady Arwen."

Arwen's cheeked coloured slightly, "I searched for some garments for you to take. I could only find men's traveling clothes, so I had to tailor them a little so that they might fit better."

Victoria smiled at the woman in appreciation. "I was wondering what I should wear. I was afraid I was going to have to wear a dress the entire trip," she said with a little laugh, as she picked up she clothes and went into the bathroom to try them on.

The white shirt Arwen had found for her buttoned up the front, and went halfway down her thigh. The deep blue pants fit her like a second skin, needing only to be rolled up at the bottom to fit her legs.

Arwen laughed as she walked out to model her slightly oversized clothes, "Lucky I brought this," Arwen giggled, handing her a thin leather belt. An intricate swirl design ran along the length of it, adding detail to the plain outfit.

Next she tried on the boots Arwen gave her. The leather went just below the knee, and unlike the clothes, fit her perfectly.

Lastly, Victoria tied the deep blue cloak around her shoulders, marvelling at it's velvety texture.

"Thanks for everything," Victoria said gratefully.

"You are most welcome. My father senses that you have come from your world to aid us in our darkest hour. A bringer of knowledge and peace to Middle Earth, perhaps a goddess?" Arwen wondered aloud.

Victoria chuckled, "I'm not a goddess, I'm just a normal girl, not that important."

"You are more important than you think." Arwen smiled warmly at her.

Victoria closed the lid of her backpack, slung it over her shoulder and made her way towards the door.

The elven woman gave her a quick hug, "Good luck," she whispered before gracefully leaving, not making a sound.

Victoria took a moment to glance around the room a final time, processing everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, wondering how it had come to this. She had finished all her assignments, and was planning a relaxing weekend of Doctor Who marathons and late morning starts, and now she was about to embark on what she thought would be the greatest adventure of her life. Reality dragged her away from daydreaming, and she softly shut the door and walked silently to the gates of the city.

It was late afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, yet the clouds blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground, turning the weather cloudy and calm. A crowd of elves surrounded the gates to say their farewells as the Fellowship was already forming. Everyone was there except Legolas.

She twisted her head around in search of the elf, when she spotted him whispering to Elrond at the very far end of the group. Victoria had a pretty good idea what Legolas was talking to Elrond about. '_The jerk still can't get over the fact that I'm going_,' she thought angrily.

Forcing herself to smile as Gandalf approached her, he led her over to the Fellowship and introduced her to the hobbits.

She shook their hands politely, as they either grinned or gaped at her.

"You're going with us?" Pippin asked wide-eyed.

Merry elbowed him sharply, as Victoria giggled at Pippin's antics. She received an unwelcoming look from Boromir, and a firm handshake from Gimli.

"At least she's not an elf," he grumbled as he saw Legolas making his way towards them. Legolas scowled, he had heard Gimli's comment. The look he shot Gimli could've frozen water.

Elrond strode up to the Fellowship, "The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom. On you who go with him, neither oath nor bond is laid to go as further than you will." Elrond caught her eye, and smiled slightly before finishing his goodbyes, "Farewell. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of elves, men and all free folk go with you."

Gandalf turned towards the dark haired hobbit, who was at the front of the group, "The Fellowship awaits The Ringbearer."

Frodo slowly plodded through the gates looking tired and older than his years. Victoria glanced back at the great elven kingdom one last time before following the Fellowship along a dirt path, and into the forest.


	6. Chapter 6: The Journey Begins

The Fellowship walked for hours, until Rivendell and the valley surrounding the city was no longer visible. The sound of waterfalls and rustling leaves were replaced by the gentle whistling of the wind, and Victoria soon found herself lagging behind. She stopped at the top of the hill they were currently climbing, trying to commit the view before her to memory.

The landscape was breathtaking, the sun was held high in the sky, while mountains loomed above the vast sea of hills that lay before the group of travellers. Despite the pounding heartbeat and burning legs, Victoria stood grinning at the incredible view.

"It's beautiful, yes?" Aragorn spoke from behind her. Victoria jumped, startled at the man's sudden appearance, then smiled.

"Yeah," she said quietly, wishing she had time to sketch the mountains in her notebook (which she packed for that very reason).

"Come," he urged, taking her by the arm, "We must continue."

Victoria allowed him to lead her down the hill and walked beside him silently as he let go of her arm. Aragorn was rough, manly, and extremely handsome, he didn't possess the grace and lithe of Legolas, but every move showed his strength.

_'And he looks damn good with that light beard,'_ Victoria thought with a wicked smile.

She stopped to pull some hair that had escaped back into her ponytail. She took a moment to admire her boots yet again, although her legs were aching and tired, her feet felt fine.

"Crap, Crap, CRAP." She muttered, realising she had fallen way behind the others. Jogging to catch up, the group had just come back into view when someone reached out and grabbed her arm. A small gasp escaped her lips before she realised it was Boromir.

Victoria eyed him cautiously; they hadn't said anything to each other, apart from a half-hearted greeting. She knew The Ring would manipulate him, and he would die with three arrows in his chest. Nevertheless, she would have to be very careful around him.

Boromir stared at her as if she had some kind of disease he might catch.

"Who are you?" He demanded shortly, "You do not belong here, are you a spy?"

Victoria tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened on her arm. "Let me go please." She whispered, trying to sound calm. "Your hurting my arm, let go." She repeated louder.

Boromir looked down at her like he had just realised she was there. "I- I apologise," he said, looking off balanced. "I don't know what came over me."

He dropped her arm and Victoria hurried back to the group, taking her place behind the hobbits. She saw Legolas' concerned face for a split second, then quickly turned away and continued to walk. She positioned herself as far away from Boromir as possible.

After another eternity of walking, Gandalf finally decided it was time to camp for the night. They made their way to a flat spot underneath a cluster of trees, just as the sun disappeared under the horizon. At this point Victoria was ready to collapse from exhaustion, she never enjoyed running or hiking, and definitely not for hours upon end. She untied her bedroll from Bill and spread it out on the soft earth a few meters away from the group. She laid down, stretching her tired muscles and pulled her velvet cloak over her as a blanket. Not wanting to disturb anyone or anyone to disturb her, she promptly fell asleep. 

Five days passed, they had finally reached the base of the Misty Mountains. They then turned south and made their way down the long path of rock and grass towards the Gap of Rohan. Victoria was surprised at how long it actually took them to reach the snow covered peaks, the movies made it seem like the journey was nothing, just a quick stroll.

Now she understood, this is real life, and real sore muscles. She had to face the truth of Middle Earth: it wasn't a book or a movie, you couldn't just fast forward the parts you didn't like, you had to work through them. "No stop or pause button either," she muttered to herself.

Just then Merry and Pippin approached her, breaking her trail of thoughts. Victoria growled slightly; the two hobbits had done nothing except ask her questions after leaving Rivendell. They were very curious about her home and spent most of the day interrogating her about it.

"What do you miss?" Pippin asked.

"My Dad."

"Is that it?" Merry piped up, disappointed with her short answer.

"Do you want a list?" Victoria asked sarcastically. Both hobbits nodded eagerly.

"Ok," she sighed, then took a minute to think. She missed so much of her home, of her world, so many little things she had taken for granted.

"I miss my Dad, my friends, my phone, my air-con, my internet, my phone, my music, my computer, dim sum, chocolate, pizza, I miss watching Doctor Who and modes of transport that don't involve me moving my feet." Victoria blurted out.

Merry and Pippin looked at her as if she had spoken another language, "I don't know what half those things are," Merry admitted quietly.

Victoria smiled, "And I'm not gonna explain them to you." she said, knowing their next question. She really wasn't in the mood for talking, but was trying to be polite and save her strength.

The hobbits took the hint and hurried to join Frodo and Sam at the front of the group, while Victoria gazed ahead at the never ending path. "How much longer until nightfall…" she asked herself quietly, knowing it was more than five hours away.


	7. Chapter 7: The Birds

The days mixed together in a cloud of exhaustion as the Fellowship marched on with little rest. Victoria got to know everyone better; everyone except Boromir was friendly and talked with her. He was nice enough to everyone else- just not her. Even Legolas talked to her; although conversations with the elf only consisted of her asking a question and him answering, but it was an obvious improvement.

Merry and Pippin continued to bombard her with questions, making her explain every little thing from microwaves to mechanical pencils. Frodo and Sam spoke to her rarely, but mostly stuck together, preferring to speak amongst themselves. On the ninth day after starting their journey, they had just finished crossing a slow moving river, when the two hobbits asked her yet _another_ question.

"So what do you do for fun?" Pippin asked.

"Well, I like to draw, read, go shopping, or watch television."

"What's television?" Merry piped up.

"It's like a moving picture that tells a story. There are many movies and television shows in my world, all with different stories to tell." she explained.

"How do you make them?" Merry asked enthusiastically.

"Um…ok, first you have to take the idea of a story, then choose the way you want to make it. You can use a camera, which is sort of like a visual recorder, or animation. After that, you can put in sounds and voices, and then you can share the movie on a television." Victoria answered, trying to put the subject into it's simplest form.

"Wait, what's ain-ee-may-shun?" Pippin asked.

Now she was stuck. _'How do you explain computer generated images to a hobbit from another world, who has never even heard of electricity?' _Victoria thought about the question for a full two minutes. When she spoke again she had sat down, notebook in hand. The Fellowship had stopped for dinner and while Sam and Frodo prepared the stew, Victoria called Pippin and Merry over to her spot on the grass.

In her notebook, she had drawn one stick figure per page, each with a slightly different position. She flipped the pages with her thumb, making it look like the figure was moving. Merry and Pippin's faces lit up as if they were children who had just found a boatload of candy.

"And that's basically animation, you can draw whatever you want and make it _'come alive'_ in the movie." Victoria said, "That's what I do!"

Merry's expression turned from amazed to confused "Do for what?"

"For work; I have a job as an animator." she explained.

At this point the rest of the Fellowship had sat down next to the hobbits, and was listening to their conversation. Aragorn passed Victoria up a bowl of beef stew, and she was very thankful for it. A full day of non-stop trekking can really work up an appetite.

"You _work?!"_ Aragorn said, astounded.

"Yeah, just like everyone else in my world." she replied.

"Do you mean to tell us that _women_ in your world, have jobs?!" Legolas added, looking quite surprised.

"Yes, what's wrong with that?"

"It's improper." Legolas stated firmly.

Victoria was taken aback at this comment, _'How annoying can this elf get?'_ she felt like pouring the boiling hot stew she was holding, over his oh-so-perfect platinum hair. On the other hand, she didn't want to waste Sam's cooking, so she resorted to verbal attack instead.

"So it's improper for me to be on this quest with you guys, _working?" _she snapped, "No, it's not improper for a woman to work, if anything it's a good thing!"

Legolas cast his eyes down and continued to eat. Victoria did the same. There was an awkward few minutes of silence before Pippin finished his mouthful of food, and spoke up again.

"So what do you do with the money?" the hobbit asked.

"I pay bills," she stated simply, starting to get fed up.

"What are bills?" Merry spoke up.

Victoria explained them as simply as possible, feeling as if she was talking to two unruly children.

"Most of my money goes towards tuition and rent- Tuition is what you pay to have somebody teach you, and rent is what you pay to live in a house," she added as Pippin opened his mouth.

"Do you live on your own?" Pippin something.

"No, I have a flat-mate, John."

The look of shock on Legolas' face was almost comical. "You live with a man?! Are you married?"

Victoria laughed out loud, startling him. "Of course not! John is my best friend!" The scandalised look was still on his face, so she continued. "It's not like we share a room or anything, he has one bedroom, I have the other."

Legolas looked somewhat relieved. "Your world is very different to ours," he said quietly.

"You can say _that_ again, Greenleaf…" she muttered.

Merry and Pippin overheard Legolas' nickname, and spent the whole morning, until they stopped for lunch, questioning him about it. Victoria walked behind them grinning as she watched the elf's patience ware away rapidly. He shot her a poisonous look, making her smile even broader.

"So if one calls you Legolas Greenleaf, they are really saying Greenleaf, Greenleaf," Pippin realised in fascination.

Legolas closed his eyes in frustration, and Victoria could almost _hear_ him gritting his teeth.

"Or Legolas, Legolas," Merry pointed out.

Both hobbits appeared to get a kick out of that, and Victoria had to cover her mouth to keep a laugh from emerging. Legolas look precariously close to losing his calm.

'I guess even elves have a limit to how much they can tolerate,' Victoria thought with a chuckle, as she walked over to the two hobbits.

"I believe I heard Boromir mention something about more fighting lessons." she lied.

Merry and Pippin hurried off quickly to find the man, arguing over who would go first. Legolas took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Thanks," he grumbled, then walked over to find Gandalf.

Victoria had to fight to contain another laugh. _'He always manages to look handsome and composed, even when he's annoyed,'_ she realised as she walked over to help Sam with lunch. Today, it was sausages, bacon and potatoes, Sam's favorite. The hobbit looked up at her as she approached and smiled shyly. They sat down together quietly as the sausages and bacon sizzled in the pan.

"There is one thing I do not understand," Sam said softly.

Victoria looked over at him curiously; he wasn't one for asking questions. "What's that?"

Sam frowned, taking a minute to find the nerve to ask, as if he was regretting what he had said. "Well, aren't people looking for you?" he blurted out finally. "I mean, don't you think people will wonder where you are?"

Victoria studied the mountains in the distance. She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but felt compelled to tell him the truth. "I doubt it. I don't think anyone realises I'm gone."

She felt tears prick in the corner of her eyes, and hurried to continue. "The only people that will care that I'm gone are my coworkers, John, and my Dad."

She let out a small laugh. "I'm probably out of a job by now, and John probably thinks I went to see my brother. As for my dad, I know he isn't looking for me."

"I'm sure he misses you." Sam said soothingly.

Victoria shook her head. "He's depressed," she whispered. "After my Mom died of a mental breakdown, he's never been the same. He's actually getting worse, which is why I have to look after my brother sometimes."

"What about your brother, he misses you right?" the young hobbit asked.

"He can't, he's severely autistic. He doesn't have empathy or normal communication skills, it's a miracle I can get him to talk some days." Victoria replied quietly, as her heart sank to the floor.

"I'm sorry to hear that Lady Victoria," Sam whispered sympathetically.

"It's fine… Anyway, enough about me, what about you Mr Samwise Gamgee? I've always dreamed about visiting the Shire, what is it like?" She said happily, changing the subject.

Sam smiled broadly, "Well my lady, it's a lovely place to live. Vast fields filled with crops of every kind, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat… The houses are comfortable and quite spacious, as they are built inside of a hill… And there is a little pub called the Green Dragon down in the town square where they serve the best ale and smoking weed west of Bree. But the best part of living in the Shire is the autumn festivals, where Gandalf the wandering wizard comes every year to display his fireworks!"

At this point Victoria was peering off into the distance again, letting Sam's words burble in the background. Her gaze moved to Legolas who had leapt onto a boulder and appeared to be studying a small black cloud. That cloud seemed very familiar, and it was moving very fast.

"Oh my god!" She cried out, jumping to her feet quickly. She had forgotten all about the birds.

"Quick! Hide!" she yelled at the men, grabbing her backpack off the ground and attempting to smother the fire.

The entire group turned and stared at her.

"The birds! Spies of Saruman," she cried in frustration. 'Why aren't they doing anything?' she wondered frantically.

"The birds!" she tried again, "Oh what the hell are they called?!"

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cried out from his perch on the boulder.

Suddenly, everyone around her sprang into action. "Hide!" Aragorn shouted.

"Oh, _now_ they hide," Victoria muttered to herself.

She was searching for a place to hide when someone grabbed her and roughly pulled her under a bush. Her head collided with the corner of a rock as Legolas shoved her to the ground. Victoria lay silent beside him as she watched the birds fly over, screeching and squawking. Legolas spun his head back around and looked at her sharply, his lips curled down into a frown and his eyes narrowing.

"You knew about the birds?" Spoken in a deadly whisper, anger and doubt clouded his once light eyes. He jumped up and pulled her out from underneath the bushes before she had a chance to reply.

"Did you know?" He asked again, not even bothering to help her up as she sat there in the dirt.

Victoria nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"If you knew, why did you not warn us sooner?" Legolas demanded, glaring down at her.

"I forgot," she whispered, feeling like a child who had just been scolded.

"Be sure it doesn't happen again." Legolas snapped, and then abruptly walked away.

Victoria buried her face in her hands, angry with herself for forgetting such an important event. _'That's the whole reason I'm here,'_ she thought. _'I'm supposed to make this trip easier, not adding to the problems.'_

She took a deep breath and glanced around at the Fellowship. The hobbits were eating again, chatting as if nothing happened. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stood together talking quietly. She saw the men glance up at the mountain behind them and knew they were talking about the Pass of Caradahas. Victoria stood up and walked away from the group, hoping to have a few minutes alone, possibly to finish the drawing of Pippin and Merry she was working on. She rounded a cluster of rocks and collided directly with Boromir.

"S-sorry," she apologised quickly, moving away from the man. Any attempt in escape was lost as he grabbed her arms tightly.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner about the birds?" he growled.

"I-I forgot," she stammered, petrified by the hateful look in his eye.

"You are a spy!" he continued, this time almost shouting.

"No, I'm not." she assured him.

"If I find out that you are," his expression turning even angrier, "I will not hesitate to slit your throat."

Victoria let out a little whimper of fear, knowing deep down that he was serious.

"Release her, Boromir," came a wonderfully familiar voice from behind.

She turned and breathed a huge sigh of relief as she saw Legolas standing there. Victoria would never thought she'd be so gal to see the elf.

"Can you not see that she is a spy Legolas?" Boromir asked.

"Spy or not, she is my responsibility. Now release her." Legolas replied calmly.

Boromir grudgingly let her arm go and she walked back over to Legolas, and for once was glad he had been forced to protect her.

"You speak with your heart, not your head Prince," Boromir snapped.

Victoria saw the elf's expression stiffen. "She is not your responsibility," he repeated evenly before Boromir stomped off.

Once he was out of sight, Legolas turned towards her, looking her up and down for injuries.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly, reaching up and lightly brushing the small cut on her forehead.

"No," she whispered, flinching away from his touch.

"It's not a deep cut," he assured her, leaning in closer to inspect it.

"I said I'm fine," she snapped, he head beginning to throb with pain. "Sorry…" she muttered, seeing the concerned look on his face. "We'd better get back to the group."

Legolas just gave her a curt nod and both were silent as they walked back.

"Let us hope the Pass of Caradahas is an easy one," Gandalf said as they set out towards the mountains.

Victoria sighed, knowing it would be.


	8. Chapter 8: The Meeting in the Dark

I was in a forest, by myself. It was dusk, and the trees rustled lightly as the moon shone in the deep blue sky. I was tempted to lie down on the soft earth and fall asleep in this relaxing atmosphere; but an unknown force pushed me forward until I was meandering amongst the trees. As I walked, the shadows became darker, the warm air became cool, then cold, then freezing. I stopped, the forest had turned silent.

I knew enough about nature to know that it never stops moving and it never stops changing and it's _never_ silent. There suddenly came a voice, sinister and merciless, it was saying my name.

"Victoria."

This was starting to creep me out, and I spun around in every direction searching for some kind of answer or escape.

"Victoria"

"Who's there?" I asked cautiously. The words echoed into the night. "Who's there?!" I shouted, but all I was returned with was more silence and the echo of my own voice.

I turned around again, looking for someone, anyone. Legolas? Aragorn? Instead, I looked down at the ground to find that it was snowing. White, perishingly cold powder flew into my face and swirled around me until the wind picked up and turned the snow into a blizzard. The wind screamed and the soft snow became slits of ice, cutting into my skin. Another wave of ice hit me, it felt as if a million swords had dug themselves into my chest, and I fell down onto my knees in agony. I cried out, the words hardly left my lips before they withered up and fell into the air.

I looked up to find that I wasn't in the forest, I was on some kind of mountain. The wind was still loud and cold, yet I could still hear a faint voice, "Victoria."

A loud crack was sounded, and as I looked up to see where the noise came from, large clumps of ice came crashing down right on top of me. Darkness closed in, but I could still hear the same voice, saying the same word.

"Victoria."

She sat bolt upright in her bed, her eyes desperately searching for her unknown enemy, but it wasn't there. Victoria was safe in the camp with the Fellowship. She let out a long breath and tried to calm herself down. She was shaking, and her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. In…and out…In…and out…

Victoria glanced round to see the group of sleeping hobbits in the far corner of the forest clearing. _'They're so peaceful.' _she thought with a smile. Slipping on her boots as quietly as possible she stood, needing a walk to clear her mind from the remnants of the dream. She moved as quietly as possible away from the group, hoping not to wake anyone up.

She strolled for about five minutes until she found an over-hang of rock that had a perfect view of the moon. Victoria sat down, her back leaning against a boulder and tilted her head back. All she could do was look up, unable to take her eyes off what was above her. The sky was a mixture of deep blues, blacks and purples, all blended together as if in a painting.

Stars were sprinkled across the sky, as if they were tiny pieces of crushed diamonds. The stars here were so different from Earth, she couldn't find the Big Dipper or Orion's Belt or even the Southern Cross. It felt so new and strange; she had never paid much attention to the night sky on Earth. Because of all the city lights, there was nothing to see anyway, but here in Middle Earth, it was so clear and beautiful.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, alerting her to the fact that someone, or something, was watching her. Quickly jumping to her feet, Victoria spun around and nearly screamed when she saw Legolas standing only a few meters away.

"What the hell?!" she spluttered, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"What are you doing so far away from the group?" He asked sternly.

The fear and shock Victoria was feeling quickly turned into anger, "What are you doing sneaking up on me during the middle of the night?!"

"I was not sneaking up on you," he spat, annoyance clear in his voice.

Victoria turned and sat back down against the boulder, wishing the elf would leave her in peace.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" she groaned, trying to make him leave in any way possible.

"Elves do not require sleep. I thought that you already knew this?" Legolas asked, confused.

"Well I do know things about your world, but not _all_ of it." she explained.

An awkward silence sat in the night air for a full minute. Victoria glanced up at him as he stood like a statue come to life. His expression was unreadable.

"Why did you run off?" He asked seriously.

"I wasn't running off, I was taking a small stroll, or am I not allowed a bit of freedom?" Victoria snapped.

"You could have gotten hurt. My duty is to protect you, and I cannot do this when you run off." Legolas reasoned. "Tomorrow we are starting the climb up the mountain, you should rest."

The elf walked over to her, "I shall walk you back to the campsite." he said firmly. Victoria reluctantly stood up and followed him back up the hill to the clearing where the Fellowship lay sleeping. She sat down on her sleeping mat, and craned her neck to see the figure of an elf walking back to opposite side of the campsite. Legolas muttered a few short words, which she was just able to hear.

She lay down on her back, closed her deep brown eyes, and let his words mull over in her head, "Sleep well, Lady Victoria."

And she did.


	9. Chapter 9: The Pass of Caradhras

They set off early next morning, and spent the whole day trudging through the snow as they climbed higher up the mountain. The temperature was had reached way below zero, and that didn't take into account the wind. It was a killing freeze, the kind that made it painful to breathe. Victoria hated the cold, she had always been used to the tropical climates of Australia. Oh how she wished she could just say a word and be magically whisked off the mountain to someplace warm.

And of course, Frodo somehow misplaced the Ring. Victoria watched anxiously as Boromir held the Ring, pulling him deeper into Sauron's spell. Tensions ran high, and when Boromir eventually gave the Ring back to Frodo, the tension lessened from palpable to an unpleasant buzz.

After another few hours of trudging, Victoria started to pay less and less attention to her surroundings. Her mind was too focused on the upcoming events of the Fellowship. She was at a complete loss of what to do. One part wanted to tell Gandalf or even Legolas about Saruman's plans to bring down the mountain on them. The other part wanted her to keep quiet. 'Boromir isn't the only one who doesn't trust you' she reminded herself. She knew that her warnings might be twisted around to make her look like she was trying to sabotage the journey. 'Maybe it's better to just let things play out on their own.' She fought with herself. 'Of course' she countered 'Legolas will be angry at me if he finds out I knew and didn't tell him.' It seemed hopeless either way.

The snow whipped around the group like a blizzard, slowing everyone except Legolas. Victoria couldn't get over how graceful he looked, gliding over the snow effortlessly. The wind stung her face as she raised her eyes, catching a glimpse of him at the front of the group, talking with Gandalf. Or really, yelling at Gandalf over the noise of the wind.

She had known from the moment she woke up that morning what she must do. She had to tell Legolas about the avalanche. He had to warn him somehow, even if he didn't believe her. She was tired of playing games; it was time to be honest. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it bothered her that he didn't trust her.

"No time like the present," she muttered, lifting her head in determination just as a strong just of wind caught the hood of her cloak. The snow slapped against her face as she unsuccessfully tried to pull it back over her head, her frozen fingers unable to grasp the velvet material. She turned and tried to grab it, feeling like a dog chasing after it's tail.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her in the middle of her second turn. She looked up and was surprised to find Legolas in front of her, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking very much as if he wanted to laugh.

"My fingers…I can't put my hood back on," she said lamely.

His lips twitched. "Why did you take it off in the first place?"

"I didn't, the wind…" she mumbled, suddenly realising he was teasing her. If it wasn't so damn cold, Victoria was sure she would've laughed.

"You might stay warmer if you keep it on," he said grinning as he reached behind her and gently pulled the hood over her head.

"Wait," she called as he began to walk away, "I need to talk to you."

Legolas turned back to face her, surprised at her words, "I am listening."

"I don't know how to say this," she whispered, biting her lower lip nervously. Well, the obvious approach seems like a good idea. "Saruman is going to try to bring down the mountain on us and we will have to travel back down the mountain into-"

"What are you talking about?" he asked sharply, cutting her off.

"Saruman is going to try to bring down the mountain on us and we will have to travel back down the mountain into Mines of Moria." She repeated slowly, feeling like an idiot.

"I heard you the first time," he said quickly, looking at her in bewilderment, "What I meant was, how, exactly did you come by this information?"

"I know the future, I thought I already told you that," she pointed out.

He stared at her for a full thirty seconds, doubt written all over his face. "I see," he muttered, then turned back and walked away.

'He doesn't believe me!' she realised as she watched him leave. Anger started to boil inside her, building pressure until she could hold it in no longer.

"Legolas!" She yelled, suddenly furious. The elf turned, confused at her outburst.

"Legolas you are such an ASS!" she screamed, "I am here because I know the future of the Fellowship, and yet I tell you and you refuse to believe me. Tell me Prince, what the hell am I here for then?"

He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "It can't be here because I'm wanted here," she continued, lowering her voice slightly. "It's perfectly clear that I'm not. So why am I here?"

"Are you and Boromir planning together, seeing who can make me feel the least welcomed?"

"What?" he asked, suddenly feeling lost.

"Don't play dumb, Elf." she snapped.

"I do not know what you are talking about," he said with a frustrated sigh, "I can assure you that Boromir and I are not conspiring together."

"I am sorry I do not believe you," he went on quietly, "but I tend to think more rationally about such matters, and looking into the future is not rational."

He glanced up at the mountain. "Furthermore," he continued after a pause, "I am sorry if we…If I… have made you feel unwelcome. I do not think you are stupid."

"But you think I am irrational," she stated calmly, no longer angry.

"No…not you," he said slowly, trying to decide how to word his feelings. "Seeing into the future."

Victoria looked down at her hands, unsure of what to say or believe.

Legolas stared down at her, emotion bright in his eyes. "Why did you tell me this?" He asked quietly. "What did you expect me to do?"

Victoria closed her eyes, struggling with the questions. She didn't want to tell him the truth, she didn't want to make herself vulnerable, but it seemed she had no choice.

"I told you because I trust you," she said finally, looking up to meet his gaze. "I hoped you would trust me enough to believe what I said. Saruman will bring the mountain down on us, you have to tell Gandalf and make us turn around."

Legolas' blue eyes bore into hers, searching for the truth. He took a step towards her and opened his mouth to speak when a voice interrupted.

"What's the hold up?" Gimli yelled from ahead of them.

"I will talk to Gandalf." Legolas said quietly, ignoring the dwarf. "I will try to persuade him to turn around."

Victoria's head snapped up at his words and opened her mouth to speak, but he had already disappeared into the swirling snow.

By the time Victoria had caught up with the rest of the group, she knew it was too late. Call it intuition; call it a hunch, but she knew. The ledge they stood on looked dreadfully familiar. 'Any minute now, Saruman would strike the mountain with lightning, burying us all in snow, and I'm helpless to stop it.' Victoria thought, dreaded the inevitable.

Legolas, who had been standing at the head of the group arguing with Gandalf, abruptly stopped. He walked out onto the edge of the mountain and squinted up into the blinding snow.

"There is a fell voice on the air," he said suddenly. Victoria could practically see his mind working like clockwork, registering what she had just warned him about.

"It' Saruman!" Gandalf cried in realisation.

Just then, huge boulders of snow fell from the top of the mountain, nearly hitting the group and sending snow dust up into the air, blocking their vision and making it harder to breathe than it already was.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled over the howling wind. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf cried, climbing onto the ledge next to Legolas. Obviously, he hadn't paid attention to the elf's warnings. He started chanting loudly in a language Victoria didn't recognise, clearly challenging Saruman. Her eyes darted around desperately, feeling herself begin to panic. There was nothing she could do; no way of stopping the avalanche or at least getting the Fellowship out of harm's way. Victoria decided in that terrible moment that she hated knowing the future.

She looked at Legolas pleadingly, begging him to do something, anything. Their gazes met, she saw the look of bewilderment in his clear blue eyes and knew it was too late. She hadn't been able to stop it, and neither could Legolas. A few seconds later, a bright bolt of lightning struck the mountainside above them with a deafening crack.

Victoria looked up in time to see chunks of snow and rock falling straight towards them, and wished she hadn't looked. She barely had enough time to cover her face with her arms before she was knocked on her back by the force of the avalanche. It smashed her, buried her, trapping her in an icy tomb. It instantly knocked the air from her weakened lungs and, panicked, she realised she couldn't move or breathe. She tried moving her legs and arms in an attempt to kick the snow off and reach out, but the snow was too heavy on top of her, and it was suffocating her. The world began to turn fuzzy at the edges and she felt herself slipping away- slowly losing consciousness.

Victoria was only vaguely aware of strong hands grabbing her and pulling her out of the snow. The cold mountain wind made it's way into her open mouth and her eyes flew open as she gasped for breath, she saw Legolas leaning over her, his blue eyes wild.

"Are you hurt?" He asked in a shaky voice, helping her sit up.

"No, I'm alright," she squeaked, trying to get her breath back. "Is everyone else ok?" she asked with a cough.

"I believe so," he whispered, and scanned her for injuries. Aragorn made his way over to them, ploughing a deep trail through the huge pile of snow. His eyes quickly looked her up and down in the same manner that Legolas' had, and he gave her a relieved smile.

"I'm glad that everyone is not hurt, it has been decided that we must travel back down the mountain and into the Mines."

Legolas gave the man a short nod and watched as he trudged through the snow, back towards the group. After a minute, he turned to Victoria, looking intent.

"I apologise," he asked quietly, watching her reaction closely.

Her eyebrows shot up and she blinked her large hazel eyes confusion. "For what?"

"For not believing what you told me."

"Oh, apology accepted," Victoria said with a small sigh, "And thank you."

"For What?" Legolas asked, his turn to look surprised.

"For saving my life," she whispered, shuddering as she remembered how close she had come to dying.

"You are most welcome Lady Victoria," Legolas replied.

Victoria stood quickly, uncomfortable with the honesty of the conversation. Dizziness swept over her like a wave and she stumbled, landing on her knees in the wet snow. She massaged her temples and blinked several times until her swimming vision returned to normal. She looked up and was shocked to find Legolas kneeling in front of her, his face mere inches from her own.

"Put your hands around my neck," he demanded, his voice smooth and mesmerising.

Victoria slipped her hands around him, too surprised to argue.

He scooped her up and effortlessly rose to his feet. "I will carry you until the snow thins out," he stated, ignoring the question in her eyes. He turned and began to follow the group back down the mountain, looking calm and collected.

Victoria on the other hand, was a ball of tangled nerves. She literally had to force her gaping mouth closed and tear her eyes away from his face. 'He's just being nice,' she reminded herself, 'Or maybe it's because of the whole almost dying thing,' she tried to reason with herself, failing miserably. Her mind kept replaying the moment he picked her up over and over again. He had moved so fast, she hadn't known he was reaching for her until he felt his arms slip under her knees and his other arm rested against her back.

He carried her across the ghost white snow and over the icy terrain as if she had weighed more than a sack of feathers. 'He can carry me and still manage to be graceful,' she realised, trying to ignore how close she was to him. Every step he took reminded her of how strong his arms were, and pressed her more firmly against his chest.

Feeling a blush rising to her cheeks , she buried her head in his soft tunic and forced herself to relax. 'Just close your eyes,' she told herself, 'Relax'

Victoria had never been one to stay awake long once her eyes were closed, and sure enough, five minutes later, she was asleep.

'I hope I don't snore,' she thought calmly.


End file.
